Worlds Apart

His Violet Eyes - Part II

It was almost noon when everyone got ready to perform in the tournaments. As they said, being the shooter of the arrow in the Sky god festival brings honour and prosper to one's life. Almost all of the students were anticipated to join and everyone was going for the win. Shu and Lui had been distant this morning and it was almost like the spark of friendship that dawned on them for a few days just vanished into thin air. Lui stood in the farthest corner with Gou while Shu stood with Wakiya, Honcho and Valt. Wakiya was boasting about his skills while Honcho passed snarky and teasing comments at the boy, but almost everyone knew that they had gotten much closer than they used to be. Shu bit his lip as he ran a finger through the soft and smooth wooden surface of his bow. Since he was young, archery was the only skill his father let him master. Mostly, rather than labour, it required precise stratagem and a good eye for the aim. Since it was almost harmless, he was assigned to practice archery with his teachers. Unlike the other skills, which he secretly practiced at late hours or in the nooks and the corners of the castle, archery was something he mastered throughout the years freely. He raised his eyes to the main door which led to the training grounds to see quite a surprising spectator entering the arena. Several gasps could be heard as it was soon outrun by the sound of the mutterings. Zac blinked. "D-Dad?"

The King smiled at him and looked around the crowd of students, standing there with stunned looks. None of them expected to have an audience with him randomly. "Everyone ready?"

Zac grinned. "You bet we all are!"

The king nodded and walked toward the seat where the Headmaster waited by. He flashed a smile at Shu remembering the crazy night where he had his first audience with the boy. Shu flushed, remembering everything Lui said about that night. Just to be polite, the albino smiled back at the king, ducking his head quickly afterwards. Lui gave Shu a smug look for which the latter glared. That idiot is always enjoying my sufferings, the albino thought in complete frustration. After everyone settled down the competition started. Shu didn't really think that they would have this much of an audience. Even a fair amount of villagers were there, watching the skill of the princes whispering among them as a talented archer stepped in. Agitation grew inside his mind. He looked beside him to see Valt, fidgeting with his fingers. He was nervous, not because of his skill, mostly because of the crowds. Just as him, Valt had never been the person who can compose himself in front of an audience. The difference among them was that Shu stayed composed among all the odds while Valt revealed his every feeling through his expressions. When Free walked to the arena, a loud cheer broke out, mostly from the girls who swooned at his looks. The task ain't simple. It's like a rehearsal before the actual festival. They had to pick the fruit, using the arrow. Almost all of them lost their aim and some came closer but the arrow always went past, the apple was never plucked. Free shot his arrow. His shot was a good one, mostly than the others but his arrow also missed from a nick. By now, almost everyone had concluded it to be a mission impossible.

Even strong students like Valt, Lui, Zac and even Gou missed the fruit. In Lui's case, the tyrant was so aggressive that the arrow was stuck in the middle of the apple and Shu found out that archery was not at all his thing because Lui is the type who wanted to walk into his enemy and beat the shit out of him. When Shu took his stance, almost everyone had given up hope, and frankly not so much of the students had high hopes about Shu because he was always average at everything and didn't surpass the ability of Lui and the rest who already failed.

Lui watched as the albino took his posture. By looking at the male, Lui could recognize the familiarity in his body language. He held his bow accurately in the correct position, his crimson eyes focused on the target, nothing else. The truth was, there was a little guilt inside his mind for what he said. It was rare indeed. He never regretted anything he said to anyone, because he always spoke the truth and didn't sugarcoat anything. Nevertheless, he wanted to clear his mind from all the swirling thoughts because Shu and him are partners in the tournament and getting along is a strong part of it. Even though he hated to agree with that, he couldn't hate that idiot. Those crimson eyes and that confused look he gives and those fierce and determined glances were enough to make him likeable. Even though he himself knew that it was weird, his heart always told him that Shu could be trusted. It can be the reason that Shu seemed to trust him thoroughly or else it can be the reason that Shu is still unstained by the ways of the world. He focused on the competition again. Shu had his bow drawn. His posture was good, no, Lui thought inspecting closer. It was perfect. The gap between his legs, the turn on his body and the distance on his arms and the length the bow was drawn is, by his calculation, beyond perfect. Lui gave an impressed look as Shu finally let the arrow go. The arrow flew, cutting through the air whiz passing the world in a blur as it finally landed on the stalk of the fruit connected to the tree and the next thing they knew was the sound of the apple falling to the ground.